A pair of Southwest A teams met for the Class A title a season ago, and rightly so. It was the toughest league in the state.

And while state champ Dillon and runner-up Butte Central both graduate a ton of talent, don’t count those two out of the conversation.

Hamilton appears to be back on the map, and Corvallis looks to build on improvements made in 2014. The league looks a little different this year with Anaconda dropping into Class B, but the schools that remain are tough as ever.

Butte Central

The Class A runners-up lost a boatload of talent to graduation—including Montana State Bobcat Marcus Ferriter and Montana Grizzly Danny Peoples—but the Maroons always seem to reload.

This year may be no exception.

Don Peoples, back for his 27th year, has All-State running back Kyle Harrington (6-0, 195) in the backfield and all-conference tight end Kyle Schulte (6-2, 205) to help power the offense. Junior Tanner Kump (6-0, 175) will take over at quarterback, and he’ll throw to seniors Cole Harper (6-0, 170) and Colin McArthur (6-0, 175).

Ethan St. John (6-3, 280) and Jake Michelotti (6-0, 250) will hold down the line.

On defense, Harrington is an all-conference defensive end and Cal Hollow (5-9, 170) returns as an all-conference safety. Schulte and Blake Burton (5-10, 170) will lead a speedy linebacker corps.

Corvallis

Clayton Curley returns for his third year at the helm of the Blue Devils coming off the most successful season in recent memory.

Corvallis loses a pair of graduated seniors to FCS programs (TE Jesse Sims to Montana and QB Jayce Gilder to Eastern Washington), but the Blue Devils have a solid corps of returners as well.

That gives Curley enough confidence to say the offensive has the “potential to be very explosive.”

Experience will be the question for the Blue Devils, as they return just two starters on either side of the ball.

Dillon

The two-time defending Class A champions bring back (almost literally) a ton of size on the offensive front as well as all-state receiver Nate Simkins (5-10, 150), who caught the game-winning two-point conversion in last year’s championship game.

Coach Rick Nordahl’s Beavers do lose four All-State performers from that squad, though.

Junior Troy Anderson (6-3, 193) takes over under center, and he’ll look for the seniors Simkins and Pyton LaFentz (6-2, 175) in the passing game.

Nearly every skill player is back for coach Travis Blome’s Broncs, led by All-Staters at receiver and fullback in Bridger Bauder (5-10, 185) and Alex Draper (6-0, 195), respectively. Bauder, a sophomore, will play defensive back while Draper returns at linebacker for his senior season.

Starting quarterback and safety Bret Huxtable (6-1, 190) also comes back as a senior.

The question mark for Blome is inexperience on the line of scrimmage, so he’ll look to Jaylen Taggert (6-3, 220) and Nick Annold (6-0, 200) to provide leadership up front.

Stevensville

First-year coach Tif Myers hopes a speedy Yellow Jacket team is ready to compete in a tough conference.

Quarterback Bryce Torrey (6-5, 190) is an all-conference slinger ready for his senior season, and his help in the backfield will be another senior in John Diepstraten (5-9, 180) at tailback.